Chapter 5: Burning Flames
Aang stood there as if in a trance. "C'mon Twinkletoes! We gotta do something!" yelled Toph. Aang head snapped straight up, "Put Appa and them in a dome, we can take these guys!" Aang exclaimed.
Toph created a dome around Appa and ran towards Aang. "Do you think we can take them all? I count 15 in all," asked Toph. "You're the most powerful earth bender there is and I'm the Avatar, these guys are nothing," chuckled Aang. Both Aang and Toph took defensive stances. "You ready Toph?" "Always!"
The fire benders all attacked with furious fir punches. Toph raised a rock shield and when she lowered it she was the only one there. The fire benders looked around with puzzled looks on their faces. Toph signaled them and started to point up. They all looked up in time to see Aang come crashing down and shattering the earth. The benders were thrown every which way. When they cam crashing back down they quickly got up and pressed there attack. Aang this time raised the earth shield. But after the flames had subsided he quickly lowered the shield and pressed his own fire assault. Taking a third of the fire benders out before having to raise another earth shield. "Aang we can't keep this up all day. We need to end this now!" Toph yelled. "Your right, cover yourself in earth armor. This could get messy." She nodded and laid down and cover her self with earth.
Aang jumped out of the shield and began to attack the benders one after the other with all the elements. Until there was only one left, the leader. He was a tall no shirted fire bender who every time he breathed fire would appear. He also had an odd hat on for a fire bender. "Hey there little Avatar, the names D, I will be your final opponent, think you can take me?"
The earth shield behind Aang exploded and Toph walked out, "With me, my man can never lose," she chuckled brushing the rock off her shoulder.
"So two on one? And lovers no doubt, this should be interesting," D chuckled.
"Don't even think we will be a cake walk!" shouted Toph
Toph began launching rocks one right after another at D. But he just stood there taking the blows. When the dust cleared he was unharmed. He spit on the ground, "Is that the best you got?" Toph became enraged and covered herself in rock armor and full out attacked him. D began to chuckle an started dodging all of Toph's attacks. "Stop running from me you coward!" Toph screamed. "If that's what you want." D said as he grabbed Toph and shattered the armor with his bare hands. "What the hell?" Toph yelled. D whacked Toph across the side of head knocking her out, "Annoying brat, c'mon Avatar, I wanna see what you made off." D looked up at Aang and his attitude completely changed. Aang had started to glow, "You will pay for this!" Aang screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Hmph, you can't stop me, even in your avatar state. Just give up now."
With this D started shooting bolts of fire out of his fingertips rapidly at Aang. Aang lifted another earth shield. But it did not last. The shield exploded with a fiery rage. D kept on shooting laughing manically. Eventually he stopped shooting and started panting. "There is no way he survived that," D said to himself.
"That's were you are wrong!"
D looked in despair as Aang stood there undamaged. "Don't make me destroy you!" shouted Aang.
D laughed. He stared to gather fire in his fist and produced an enormous fireball. "I am as strong as Phoenix King Ozai when he had the comet's power. You cannot stop me!" he roared as he charged Aang with the fireball. Aang was facing away from D. As D approached Aang tilted his head towards him.
"Take this you bloody peasant!" screamed D as threw plunged the fireball towards Aang. Aang lifted his palm and it collided with the fireball. "Wh-What! This is impossible!" D screamed. Aang had stopped his march. Aang grabbed the fireball and whipped it straight up in the air. Aang ran up to D and grabbed him by the throat. "Tell me who sent you, why did you attack us!?" yelled Aang.
"After you beat Ozai we've been hunting you down, as he instructed. Our first attempt to get you with the water tribe girl didn't work as plan…."
"You hurt Katara! Give me one good reason I shouldn't kill you right here right now?" Aang asked furiously.
"Because its not you."
Aang turned to see Toph stumbling over to him. She put her arms around him, "Let him go, this isn't the way you are, you couldn't kill Ozai what makes this man any different?" asked Toph sobbing. "Give me back my Twinkletoes, give him back!"
Aang sighed and released D. His glowing dissipated. He turned around and grabbed Toph. "I am so sorry you had to see me like that Toph. I mean…" Toph leaned up and kissed him, "Don't scare me like that again, got it?" Toph said with a stern look on her face. Aang nodded, "Anything for you."
"Aang he's getting away!" Toph yelled.
Aang raised four pillars of rock and caught D. "Please just let me live, I promise I will call of my troopsm we will leave you alone, I swear it!" cried D.
"You are a pathetic excuse for a fire bender, fine we will let you live," Toph said while wiping her eyes.
They both walked away towards were Appa had crashed. Toph lowered the protective barrier. Sokka came running out to see what had happened. "Did we win?" he asked. "Yes we did Sokka. Is Appa ok?" Aang asked.
"Yeah he's fine, no serious injuries. Do you guys wanna get going again?" Sokka asked.
"Yeah were almost there anyways," Aang said. "Alright everyone back on Appa."
Aang walked over and petted Appa on his head, "Are you feeling ok boy?" Appa answered with a bellowing roar. "I'll take that as a yes."
Aang grabbed Toph and hopped on Appa head. "Yip-Yip" and Appa was back in the sky heading towards Zuko's Palace.
"Hey Aang," said Toph.
"Yes?"
"Is it ok if I hold onto you and sleep the rest of the way, I am pooped."
"Sure, I'll make sure you stay up here."
"You better," she leaned over and kissed him. She leaned up to his ear and whispered, "When we land again at the palace we will continue were we left off."
Aang face became flushed again. "I thought I'd give you something to look forward to other than seeing everybody," she snickered. Aang leaned over and gave her a kiss, "Ok get some sleep."
" I love you Toph"
"I love you too Aang, even though your still a dork."